Superstition and magick in Tuluk

[Bjorn]

A situation popped up in-game where I and another player seemed to disagree on what the game world looked like. The docs aren't complete and I'm not certain. In Tuluk, where is the line drawn between superstition and foulest magick?

All my characters, northerners and southerners both, have been superstitious. Lirathu means good luck, there's a bit of a ritual with the dice before they're thrown, feathers should be tied in an odd number.
  There are magickers in Allanak,  and Templars throw fire openly, and there's a great deal of magick in the air. In Tuluk, magick is taboo, untold ghastful horror. In http://www.armageddon.org/general/superstitions.html, one can read some examples of both Allanaki and Tuluki superstition. It makes mention of feathers, and this is written again in another doc:

Feathers: Often worn in the hair. Both southern and northern superstition dictates that any item made of feathers must feature an odd number.

So bad things could happen if you tie eight feathers in a knot. Could superstition dictate other items make good things happen? If a starving Tulukian finds a stick and after that a bit of food, could he come to think it was a lucky stick and say that to others without causing face-paling horror? Or should the discoverer not even shrug his shoulders, because even thinking it could be something other than coincidence would go against everything he was raised to not believe in?

My thought is that the concept of  good and bad luck exists even in Tuluk. The unnatural powers of abominations are buried too far back in the Tulukian mind for there to be any connecting what once burned down Tuluk with superstition. My view is that since magick is the last thing the average citizen wants on their mind, he isn't likely to even think of it unless he hears the word or sees something lavishly unnatural, and that is just what superstitions never are. It isn't an easy line to draw. I'd like to hear other players thoughts. Please give an example on either side of the line.

[ale six]

Luck and coincidence are a lot different from being able to throw fire from your hands or spew water out your nose like abominations can. I see nothing wrong with a Tuluki being superstitious. Superstitions are things that can be believed or not, but aren't exactly provable. Magick is something that's observably unnatural.

When in doubt, ask your friendly neighborhood Lirathan. If you don't get disappeared, you'll know you were okay.

[Spoon]

There is evidenence in the documentation of artists performing 'magic tricks' in Tuluk for coins.

Unless this is outdated, I suppose little tricks and superstitions don't bother people like the flaming waternose spewing antics of real magickers. That or it's outdated. do you reckon it's outdated?

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I doubt that it's outdated. In the reference to these magick tricks, I'd really suspect that it is only sleight of hand and deft fingerwork. You might just say magic instead of magick.

[Cegar]

In Tuluk, just outside of the Firestorm...


A street performer says, "And now for my greatest feat!"

A street performer produces an obsidian coin from behind a chubby little girl's ear.

A chubby little girl's mother screams, "AHHH! VILE ABOMINATION!"

[mansa]

I believe that the Tuluk citizens TRUST that there is no magickers in their city.  That the faithful ones have protected them, and saved them.

Therefore, sleight of hand tricks can't possibly be magick, because normal citizens aren't magickal.

[Lavalamps]

I believe that the Tuluk citizens TRUST that there is no magickers in their city.  That the faithful ones have protected them, and saved them.

I quite like this idea.
I mean, if the Highlord and His faithful Templars haven't done their job.. well, ANYTHING could happen! :twisted:

[Bjorn]

I've run into two Tulukians now that connect the concept of Luck with foul Magick. It bothers me, because then we have differing views of the game world. If you play play your characters like this, why?

[Xygax]

This isn't staff policy, but I'd say in general the concept of luck, or fate, or whatever is nowhere near the concept of foul magick.

That said, people can be foolish and superstitious about anything, even templars.  And if you find a northern templar who thinks that luck = foul magick, then I'd suggest you avoid chatting with them about your luck at Kruth.

-- X